Iowa heartbeat law challenged

Two pro-abortion groups announced late Tuesday they will challenge a trailblazing Iowa law that protects unborn children from abortions once a heartbeat is detected. The American Civil Liberties Union and the Planned Parenthood Federation of America filed a lawsuit in Polk County District Court in Des Moines, arguing that the law violates the Iowa Constitution and puts at risk the health of women seeking an abortion. The two groups seek an injunction to halt the law’s implementation, set for July 1. The Iowa legislature passed the measure, which protects the lives of children after about six weeks into a pregnancy, on May 2. Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds, a Republican, signed the bill two days later. Supporters have said they expected, and welcomed, a legal challenge to the law and hope the case makes its way to the U.S. Supreme Court.